US 99 – Whitaker Summit

Historical Tour of old US 99

Whitaker Summit Summit Elevation : 3000 ft.

Whitaker Summit – Looking north.Looking down Three Mile Grade from Whitaker Summit on May 19, 1949.

Whitaker Summit divides 5 Mile Grade and 3 Mile Grade. This summit is the highest point on US 99 before Tejon Pass. Now only two lanes of the road are used. Many movies have used the section of highway just beyond this. One recent movie called “Breakdown” used this highway. This segment was built in 1933 as a three lane road and widened to four lanes in 1949. The embankments along Three Mile Grade were trucked in from the Castaic area as the dirt here is unstable.

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A few months ago, I decided to purchase a new domain in the anticipation of moving to northern California. Whether or not that move takes place, I still own that domain. As such, this site may be expanding in scope to cover a few more counties. The new site, NorCalRegion.Com, is still a work in progess, but will cover highways and geology in the northern half of the state. Where that line will be drawn is still being worked out. Look for updates in the coming months for these changes and expansions.

There is a group in Bakersfield trying to get historic route signs posted on the original alignment of US 99 through the Bakersfield area. They could use your support. Check out the site below for more information.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has a wealth of information available on their website. With a bit of patience and some looking around, you can find quite a few treasures using their mapping application. I’ve so far found the original survey data for the “Bridge To Nowhere” roadway, plans for other roadways that were never built in the Sierra Pelona Mountains, as well as the forest service permit for the Shoemaker Canyon Road that was never completed.